This invention relates generally to disposable toilet seat covers, and, more particularly, to a toilet seat cover constructed of a non-porous plastic material, and methods of making and using same.
Every toilet seat is usually used by more than one person and in many places, particularly in hospitals, schools, theatres, restaurants and sports complexes, the same toilet seat is used by many people. Some of these people may have health problems, and some diseases can be transferred to other people by using the same toilet.
There are a number of sanitary toilet seat covers available commercially, but all suffer from one or more serious drawbacks. For example, one well-known toilet seat cover which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,873,225 is formed of a tissue material which disintegrates in water. Clearly, although this achieves certain beneficial ends from the standpoint of convenience of disposability by simple flushing, the cover fails to provide the high level of protection from fluid-carried disease organisms, which is considered essential in view of present-day health concerns. Moreover, in situations of high moisture or humidity, particularly when the cover is used for an extended period of time, the known cover will adhere to the skin of the user, creating considerable inconvenience and discomfort, as well as possible skin irritation. The potential for irritation incident with the use of certain prior art toilet seat covers is increased by pleated structures, which additionally complicate the manufacturing process.
Commercially available sanitary toilet seat covers are costly to manufacture and difficult to make conveniently available for use in conventional rest room facilities. One approach to the manufacture of such covers is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,214 which describes a foil system wherein an adhesive surface on the foil is strengthened by having short individual fibers applied thereto. The toilet seat cover of that patent reference is manufactured in an endless chain having the full width of each cover. This relatively large width requires that the covers be individually folded and packaged, thereby requiring the use of bulky dispensers, which may include nonstandard wide rolls.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved disposable toilet seat cover which is inexpensive so as to be disposable after use and which is convenient to ship, store, dispense, and handle.
It is a further object of this invention to furnish a flexible toilet seat cover which is comfortable to use and additionally is provided with a smooth surface which does not irritate or adhere to the skin of the user.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a disposable toilet seat cover which is large enough to prevent direct contact between the user and the toilet seat, as well as the interior rim of the commode.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a sanitary toilet seat cover which resists being torn by rough handling or during use, particularly when wet.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a sanitary toilet seat cover which protects male users from direct contact with the inside front surface of the toilet and the inside edge of the toilet seat.
It is yet a further object of the invention to prevent germs and other disease-causing organisms on the toilet seat, from reaching the body of the person using the toilet.